Fireproof-building construction



Patented May 30, |899.

' E. V. JOHNSON.

FIREPROUF BUILDING CONSTRUCTIUN.

(Application led Dec. 29, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

VV/TNESSES:

me Noam: man c'o: pum-mman.. WASHINGTON. u. c

Patented May 30, |899.

E. v. JoHNsoN. FIREPBIIDF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

(Application tiled. Dec. 29, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

7 N I C G CZ 723 Z g' 2] f"\ MVP JN VEN TOR: ERNEST /.fouMso/v TH: NonmsPETERS no.. Puomud, WASHINGTON. mc.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST V. JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIREPROoF-BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,930, dated May so,189e.

Application filed December 29, 1898. Serial No. 700,576. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it' may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST V. J OHNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Fireproof-BuildingConstruction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of flreproofbuildings.

The object of my invention is to provide a fireproof building of asimple,efficient, strong, and durable construction and capable of beingrapidly and cheaply constructed.

IIeretofore in fireproof-building constructions composed of a steelframe and tilework it has been customary to lay the tilework in the formof a series of separate flat arches springing from and extending betweenthe webs of the parallel steel beams of the framework, thus involving agood deal of time and labor in the construction and the necessity ofcutting the tile or making specially-formed tile to fit against the websof the steel beams. I have discovered and demonstrated by my experimentsthat an entirely practical and exceedingly strong, efficient, anddurable tilework floor or partition construction may be made inconnection with the steel beams of the framework without the necessityof making a series of separate arches springing from and abuttingagainst the webs of the steel beams, as heretofore, by simply laying orstretching a tensilelyacting metal fabric member on top of the steelbeams of the framework and embedding the same in a layer of concrete orcement work and applying the tilework on top of the tensile-acting metalmember, the tilework thus extending continuously over the steel beams ofthe frame- Work without any abutment against the same; and my inventionconsists in the combination, with the steel beams of the framework, of atensile-acting metal member, preferably wire fabric-such, for example,as is used for woven-wire fencing, with the large Wires extendinglongitudinally of the fabric-that is to say, across the beams of theframeworkand a tilework partition or floor construction laid on top ofsaid tensile-acting metal member, the same being of course laid incement or other suitable mortar, and the tensile-acting metal memberbeing also embedded in l throughout.

the cement or cemented to the tilework, so Vas to form one integralwhole therewith The lnetal beams of the framework below the floor ortilework-partition are protected from lire and heat by tile surroundingthe same. Where my improved construction is employed for a door orhorizontal partition, the ordinary construction of suspended ceiling maybe applied to the lower edge of the steel beams of the framework, thusleaving a large air-space between the ceiling and the floor. Where myimproved construction is employed for roofs, the steel beams of theframework may be left projecting below the tilework roof or partitionconstruction; but they should be protected from fire and heat by tile`surrounding the same. A layer of cement or concrete is spread over theupper surface of the tilework, so that the tilework is inclosed orcovered on both its upper and lower sides with a layer of concrete orcement, the tensile-acting lower member being embedded in the lowerlayer of cement or concrete.

Inthe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure l is a plan view of a tilework floor or partition constructionembodying my invention and showing vthe same in part at different levelsor stages of completion. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 ofFig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail vertical section. Fig. 4 is anenlarged detail vertical section at right angles to Fig. 3, and Fig. 5is a detail section showing simply the steel beams of the framework andthe tensile-acting metal member before the tilework and concrete orcement constructions are applied thereto.

In the drawings, A A represent the steel beams of the framework of afireproof build- Ing.

B represents a tensile-acting metalmember extending over the metal beamsof the framework and preferably in one continuous piece from outsidebeam to outside beam of the building. This tensile-acting metal membermay be of any suitable form or construction; but I preferably employ ametal fabric and preferably a metal fabric of wire-such, for example, asthat ordinarily employed in woven or stay wire fences. The longitudinalwire strands b are preferably comparatively large wires-such, forexample, as that em- IOO ployed for the longitudinal wires of a wirefence-say, for example, No. l0 or No. 12 wire gage. The cross-wires b ofthe fabric may be of smaller size, if desired. The wires of the fabricmay be placed any desired distance apart, but preferably about three orfour inches. Upright folds orfianges bmay be formed in the metal memberor fabric to fit between the joints of the tilework in one direction thedirection in which the courses of tile are laid. The tensile-actingmetal member B is preferably anchored or secured to the outside beams AA of the framework by clips or other fastenings C. This, hovever, is notessential to the strength of the structure as a whole, as the layer D ofcement, concrete, or other plastic material in which the tensile-actingmetal member is embedded acts as a continuous anchor for the metalmember.

F F are the protecting-tile surrounding and protecting the metal beams AA of the framework. The cement or concretelayer D preferably projectsslightly below the upper edge of the protectingfile F F, thus formingshoulders CZ in the cement layer D against said protecting-tile.

G is the tilework laid upon the tensile-acting metal member B andembedded in the cement or concrete layer D, and thus rigidly unitedthereto. The tilcwork G is composed of a series of hollow tiles g, laidin courses g across the frame-beams A A, the joints g2in one coursebreaking joints with those in another, as will be readily understoodfrom Fig. 1 of the drawings.

H is a layer of cement, concrete, or other plastic material on top ofthe tilework G. All the joints of' the tilework are of course made withcement, mortar,or other plastic material. It this construction isemployed for a fioor, the upper finish of the Hoor, whether of wood orof marble, tile, erother blocks, is of course laid on top of the cementor concrete layer II in the usual manner. If the construction isemployed for a roof, the slate or other finish of the roof is likewiseapplied to the upper layer H of cement, concrete, or other plasticmaterial.

If it is desired that the frame-beams shall not be left projecting belowthe general surface of the structure, a suspended ceiling K may beapplied in the usual manner to the metal beams A A at their lower edges.

I claim- 1. A fireproof-building construction, comprising in combinationmetal frameworkbeams, a tensile-acting metal member extending over andacross the beams, hollow tilework above said tensile-acting metalmember, and a layer of cement, concrete or plastic material uniting thetensile-acting metal member with the tilework, substantially asspecified.

2. A freproof-building construction, comprising in combination metalframeworkbeams, a tensile-acting metal member extending over and acrossthe bea-ms, hollow tile above said tensile-acting metal member, a layerof cement, concrete or plastic material uniting the tensile-acting metalmember with the tilework, and a layer of cement, concrete or plasticmaterial above the tilework, substantially as specified.

3. A fireproof-building construction, comprising in combination metalframeworkbeams, a tensile-acting metal memberextending over and acrossthe beams, hollow tile above said tensile-acting metal member, a layerof cement, concrete oPplastic material uniting the tensile-acting metalmember with the tilework, a layer of cement, concrete or plasticmaterial above the tilework, said tensile-acting metal member beinganchored to the framework-beams, substantially as specified.

4. A fireproofbuilding construction, comprising in combination metalframeworkbeams, a tensile-actin g metal memberextending over and acrossthe beams, hollow tile above said tensile-acting metal member, a layerof cement, concrete or plastic material uniting the tensile-actin gmetal member with the tilework, and a layer of cement, concrete orplastic material above the tilework, said tensile-acting metal memberhaving upright folds or flanges fitting in the course-joints of thetilework, substantially as specified.

5. A fireproof-building construction, comprising in combination metalframeworkbeams, a tensile-acting metal member extending over and acrossthe beams, hollow tile above said tensile-acting metal member, a layerof cement, concrete or plastic material uniting the tensile-acting metalmember with the tilework, a layer of cement, concrete or plasticmaterial above the tilework, and protecting-tile covering or inclosingthe framework-beams, substantially as specified.

ERNEST V. JOHNSON.

XVitnesses:

E. F. STUDRooTH, H. M. MUNDAY.

IOC

